Education is free and compulsory for five years in Colombia. Illiteracy is declining, having dropped from an estimated 90% at the end of the 19th century to an estimated 8.2% in 2000 (males, 8.2%; females, 8.2%).
Colombia is known for its coffee, and whether you drink it regularly both at home and not, make sure to sample it while going to the country. Tintos are extremely small glasses of coffee which are often in love with the streets, from thermoses. Sometimes you’ll see vendors rolling shopping carts having a dozen or even more thermoses around, attempting to keep up with demand.
Colombia is a unitary republic conformed by thirty-two departments (Spanish: departamentos, sing. departamento) and a Capital District (Distrito Capital).